1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid droplet-ejecting apparatus, an ink-jet printer including an ink jet head for discharging an ink onto a recording medium, and a liquid droplet-moving apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-86021 corresponding to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,474,566 and 6,752,326 describes a liquid discharge apparatus in which liquid-repelling processing grooves with deteriorated liquid repellence are formed on a liquid-repelling processing layer formed around discharge holes of nozzles for discharging a liquid. In the case of the liquid discharge apparatus, the liquid-repelling processing grooves are incised around the discharge holes of the nozzles. Accordingly, when the liquid droplets, which are retained on the liquid-repelling processing layer around the discharge holes of the nozzles without being scattered although they are discharged from the nozzles, are gradually increased or grown as the liquid droplets are repeatedly discharged from the nozzles, the grown liquid droplets are attracted and introduced into the liquid-repelling processing grooves. Thus, it is possible to remove the grown liquid droplets from the surroundings of the discharge holes of the nozzles. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the discharge failure which would be otherwise caused by the liquid droplets remaining in the discharge holes of the nozzles.
However, in the case of the liquid discharge apparatus described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-86021, the liquid droplets, which have been attracted and introduced into the liquid-repelling processing grooves, stay in the liquid-repelling processing grooves. The staying liquid droplets will overflow thereafter. Therefore, it is consequently necessary to remove the liquid droplets retained around the discharge ports of the nozzles by performing the wiping operation with a blade or the like. If the wiping operation is performed excessively frequently, a problem arises such that the liquid-repelling processing layer is gradually deteriorated due to the abrasion.